Started up at 4:45AM and reached summit via south ridge route with several new friends at 11:31AM . Headed back down at 12:00 noon and back to the TH at 5:45PM. My 48th 14'er with perfect weather all day long....sweet!

Camped overnight at the bent tree to shorten this route. The Hill of Death is unrelenting, and god-awful loose; actually worse coming down. Swung wide to the left to minimize the slope and enjoy more of the ridge. 10 hrs. RT with some 40 min. on the top in flawless summer sunshine. Route finding is challenging. Gullies are loose and crappy. Actual rock climbing and ridge walking is outstanding.

Horrible luck. Planned the traverse. Perfect weather turned into a whiteout and thunder on the middle of it. Long story short. Me and my climbing partner had to get rescued out by the Aspen Mountain Rescue. Will post a TR soon.

Started late from Maroon Lake parking lot (11:30), and ran the first section (until the bend tree). Was completely alone on the trail (midweek), and my dog got bloody paws from the sharp rock. Duchess was truly amazing (getting close to completing all fourteeners. I did not take her on Pyramid).

8/8/14 - 2nd time up South Maroon - the route was rerouted and is well marked with a cairn, a long haul up, felt technically easy.

I would normally never attempt a snow climb this late in the summer, but after some reconnaissance we found that last winter's epic snowpack was still holding deep and strong into August. With a 3 a.m. start we found the snow to be plenty hard up until the last 100 meters to the saddle as the sunrise began the thaw. That being said, there were a couple sketchy snow bridges to circumnavigate from underlying meltwater hollowing tunnels and 3 or more short sections where late thaw left 15 foot crux pitches of 60+ degrees. Very hands on and sustained. A very long and demanding couloir, but outstanding. Final rock scramble to S. summit was enjoyable, and a relief to finally shed the crampons. Descent of Maroon's east slope is every bit as brutal as described. Knees will be screaming at the bottom. Brilliant day.

Maroon Peak is a great mountain indeed. A little brutal on the way down otherwise it might rank in my top 5 ever. Once you gained the south ridge - the climbing was fun! And the route finding made it challenging as well - never a dull moment all the way to the top. I would have liked to enjoy the summit a bit more but we knew it would a long climb back down.

This was my third climb of Maroon. It was a very long day, starting and ending in the dark. We did the standard route. I left some skin from my hands behind on a rock that relocated when I grabbed it.
My second climb was on 7-24-99

Ben, Dan and I climbed the Bell Cord and traversed to the summit of Maroon Peak on a very warm day. We skied from just below the couloir, but not the whole thing becuase of poor snow conditions. We climbed the Bell Cord a week prior and traversed to N Maroon Pk.

From camp at Crater Lake, climbed the South Ridge of South Maroon Peak, performed the traverse to North Maroon Peak, then descended North Maroon's Northeast Ridge back to camp with my friend Keith. Descending Maroon Peak for the start of the traverse was one of the sketchiest parts. Picture steep slabs covered in ball bearings. Slipped and cut my leg on that section - still have the scar five months later.

Found North Maroon and the traverse to be relatively easy. I rappelled once, not out of necessity, but more because I'd have hated to carry a rope and not use it. Surprisingly, descending South Maroon was the hard part. I must've been off route. There were cairns around me, but the grass was so steep and slick I felt like I needed a "grass axe" to stop myself if I fell.